Wrench



Aug. 26, 1924. 1,506,362

A. o. CARMAN WRENCH Filed- March 14 1923 unawgg g 5 ZIMQMW Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALVIN O. CARMAN, 01E POTTERVILLE, IVIICHIGAN.

WRENCH.

Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 625,033.

To aZZ whom it may 11 067% Be it known that I, ALVIN 0. CARMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Potterville, in the county of 'Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new Benches; and 1 do hereby declare the foland useful Improvements in lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others .skilled in the art .to which it appertains to make and use the same.

'My present invention is a wrench having a movable jaw capable of slipping'over and around .the corners of a nut and held in firmly grip the nut without causing fatigue in the hand or fingers of the operator and will instantly release the nut When the grip of the fingers is relaxed. The invention also seeks to provide a wrench in which the jaws may be brought into engagement with the nut and then, by a plier-like move ment, caused to firmly grip the nut, the continuation of the movement effecting the turning of the nut. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of a wrench embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. similar view showing the jaws gripped on a nut; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a handle or stock 1 expanded at one end to form a head or frame 2 having the fixed jaw 3 formed at one side. A way or groove 4. is formed in the end edge of the head or frame and extends through the base of the jaw 8, as shown. The movable jaw 5 is the conterpart of the fixed aw in outline and is constructed with a lateral stem 6 which fits slidably in the way 4 and has a worm thread or rack 7 on its under side, it being noted on reference to Figure 3 that the stem 6 has longitudinal ribs 8 on its sides engaging under the overhanging flanges 9 on the walls of the way whereby drop-ping of the movable aw from the head or frame will be prevented. The head or frame is open transversely to accommodate and provide access to a. worm or spiralribbed cylinder 10 which engages the rack '7 and is slidably and rotatably mounted on a pin 11 which is secured in the end walls of the frame and extends across the open portion thereof being provided at that end under the fixed jaw with a threaded head 12 which engages in the bore 13 in the frame whereby to secure the pin. The head 12 also constitutes an abutment for a spring 14 which is housed in the bore 13 and bears against the end of the worm 10. Pivoted to the frame 2, below the bore 13 and about at the point where the frame springs from the stock 1, is a lever handle 15 which is ,U-shaped in cross section whereby it may straddle the stock 1. A leaf spring 16 disposed between the stock and the lever to hold the lever normally from the stock, the spring being secured at one end to one of said members and bearing at its free end upon the other member. The pivoted or fulcrum end of the lever extends across the lower end of the frame and the fulcrum is located at the corner of the lever which thereby operates as a bell crank. A tapered or wedge-shaped cam or dog 17 is pivoted to the corner of the lever opposite the fulcrum thereof and is disposed within the open body of the frame with one side bearing against the adjacent end of the worm 10 and its opposite side riding on the inclined or cam wall 18 of the body. The dog or cam 17 is forked, as shown at 19, so that it rides past the pin 11 to be thereby held against lateral shifting whereby it will always be in operative engagement with the worm. A shoulder 20 on the dog is adapted to engage a shoulder 21 at the base of the wall 18 and thereby limit the releasing movement of the dog so that it cannot be disengaged from the worm.

In operation the jaws 3 and 5 are disposed at opposite sides of the nut and the worm 10 is rotated so as to act on the rack 7 and move the jaw 5 into engagement with the nut, after which the stock and lever handle are grasped in the manner of pliers so that the lever will be moved against the stock and the dog 17 will be forced out Wardly between the wall 18 and the end of the worm, sliding the worm along the pin 11 and causing the movable jaw to bind firmly upon the nut so that it may be easily turned. If the grip of the fingers be relaxed, the springs 14 and 16 will expand and loosen the movable jaw from the nut without entirely withdrawing it, so that it may be readjusted to effect a second turning of the nut.

When a nut is gripped by my wrench, all the strain is thrown against the wall of the frame through the cam or dog 17 and the wrench is locked on the nut without subj ecting the hand to shock or fatiguing strain. The jaws may be opened or closed very rapidly so that the wrench may be operated as a ratchet wrench without being removed from the nut every time a new grip is to be taken. The jaws are so shaped that they may hold either square or hexagon nuts or round bolts or rods. The device may be used as pliers and the invention may be embodied in an angle-headed wrench.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a wrench, the combination of a frame, a fixed jaw thereon, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the frame, yieldable means tending constantly to move said jaw to open position, a slidably mounted member operatively connected with the movable jaw to move the same to closed position, a lever handle fulcrumed on the frame adjacent the fixed jaw, and a wedge-shaped dog pivoted at one end eccentrically to the lever andle and having its opposite end disposed between and slidably engaged with a wall of the frame and the adjacent opposed end of the slidable member.

2. In a wrench, the combination. of a frame, a fixed jaw thereon, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the frame, yieldable means tending constantly to move said jaw to released position, a slidably mounted member operatively connected with the movable jaw to effect engagement of the same with a nut, a tapered dog acting between said slidable member and an inclined side of the frame to causethe movable jaw to grip the nut, a stop at the base of the inclined side of the frame, a shoulder on the dog adapted to engage said stop whereby to limit the releasing movement of the dog, and a lever handle fulcrumed on the frame and having the dog pivoted thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALVIN O. CARMAN.

Witnesses:

J NO. BOTROFF,

HOMER BOTT. 

